Draft reducing device for vessels



Aug. 3, 1965 A. l. LlVAS DRAFT REDUCING DEVICE FOR VESSELS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 31, 1963 INVENTOR. AMILCAS ION LIVAS BY '5 f v i ATTORNEY Aug. 3, 1965 A. 1. LIVAS DRAFT REDUCING DEVICE FOR VESSELS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 51, 1965 INVENTOR.

AMI LCAS ION LIVAS United States Patent 3,198,157 DRAFT REDUCING DEVXCE FOR VEElSELS Amilcas lion Livas, 50 Broadway, New York, N.Y. Filed Oct. 31, 1963, Ser. No. 320,405 4 (Zlaiins. (til. 1l4l23) This invention relates to method and apparatus for reducing the draft of ships when they are leaving or entering a harbor having insuflicient water depth for accomodating such sea-going vessels.

In particular, this invention is directed to adapting a sea-going shi of standard design with a draft reducing device or devices as distinguished from modifying or reconstructing the ships bull (or designing a special hull for a new special purpose ship) when the problem at hand is to load and transport a ship for an economical sea-going voyage to the extent where it cannot enter a specific harbor having insufficient water depth.

Up to the present time, it has been the practice to meet such problem by: (a) building a new ship of special hull design, or (b) extensively modifying a general purpose ship, or (c) reducing the cargo loaded at the beginning of the sea-going voyage, or (d) unloading a portion of a fully loaded ship after the sea-going voyage and before entering the harbor until the draft has been sufficiently reduced to permit the ship to enter. The same solutions have also been applied to ships loaded with cargo for sea-going voyage which must cross shallow water within a harbor before reaching the high seas.

In accordance with apparatus of the present invention, there is provided draft reducing means for a ship which comprises a first bracket means which is adapted to be secured to the sides of the ship and having a portion extended downwardly from an outboard position thereof, a floatable body and a second bracket means secured to the sides of the floatable body and having an extension depending upwardly from an outboard portion thereof, the upper profile of the second bracket means being interlockable with the lower profile of the first bracket.

In accordance with the invention there is also provided a method for reducing the draft of a ship which includes the steps of moving a hollow buoyant body in close prox iinity to the ship, interlocking the adjacent sides of the hollow buoyant body and the ship, and increasing the buoyancy of the iloatable body.

The prior art for at least the last one hundred years is replete with devices for temporarily decreasing the ships draft by various pontoon arrangements which are attached to the sea-going ship by chains passing under the keel of the ship and/ or pontoons which are attached to arms pivoted to the ships deck or the ships side so that they can be swingable from a position above the ships water line to a position at or below the ships water line. Some of the disadvantages of the latter solution were the complicated mechanical arrangement and the high power transmission system required to transfer the ships weight to the pontoons. It is significant to note that in spite of tremendous efforts expended by commercial interests to solve the very real and commonly prevailing problems, there nevertheless has not evolved, prior to the present invention, a solution which has received any practical commercial acceptance. This invention is specifically directed to the long-needed practical solution to the long outstanding problem. For instance, according to this invention, there is no need to construct cavities into the side of the ship either below or above the water line.

ence the present inventive draft reducing means can be fitted with relatively little expense to the sides of existing ships with side and bull contours designed for economical speeds and general sea-going duties. As a practical commercial consideration, the draft reducing means of 3,198,157 Patented Aug. 3, 1965 the present invention can be carried upon the ships sides during an ocean-going voyage without materially affecting the ships speed in a troubleless manner so that it is immediately available for its intended purpose to reduce the ships draft. Also, and very important, according to the present invention there is no need for the seagoin ship to have any special power equipment for effecting the lifting of the ship in order to reduce its draft. Even the hollow buoyant bodies which are moved into position adjacent the sides of the sea-going ship when the latter reaches its intended harbor require no complicated apparatus to attach them to the sea-going ship or to increase the buoyancy of the hollow buoyant bodies. An ordinary power driven water pump is all the power transmission system that is required to reduce the draft of the ship.

ther objects and features of the present invention will be set forth or apparent in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose by way of example, and not 'by Way of limitation, in a limited number of embodiments, the principal of the invention and structural and method implementations of the inventive concept.

In the drawings, in which like reference numbers designate like components in the several views:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a ship having excessive draft prior to having its draft reduced according to the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates the ship of FIG. 1 after its draft has been reduced;

FIG. 3 is an elevation view of the coupling devices employ-ed in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional elevation view illustrating how the ship is coupled to one or more tankers or hollow buoyant bodies for effecting draft reduction;

FIG. 5 is a sectional elevation of a heavily loaded ship being coupled to hollow buoyant bodies in an alternate arrangement according to the invention; and

FIG. 6 illustrates in a sectional elevation view the vessel of FIG. 5 tied up to a pier for unloading.

In FIG. 1, a loaded ship 1% arrives at a harbor with an excessive draft a for the existing water depth between it and its intended wharf or pier. According to one embodiment of the invention, a pair of hollow buoyant bodies 12, each loaded with sea water ballast 14, is moved, as by tugboats, to positions adjacent to and along opposite longitudinal sides of the ship 1i). Thereafter, the hollow buoyant bodies 12 are mechanically coupled to the sides of the vessel it) with devices shown in FIG. 3 by pumping water ballast 14 out of the hollow buoyant bodies 12 (by mechanism not shown) so that the draft of the combination of the ship 10 and the hollow buoyant bodies 12 is reduced to d as shown in FIG. 2. The new draft d is selectively predetermined so that the ship 10 can navigate through shallow water existing between it and its intended pier or wharf. After the ship 10 again reaches deep water or its intended pier where the water depth is proper to accommodate the ships full draft, sea water can be pumped into the hollow buoyant bodies 12 for uncoupling the hollow buoyant bodies from the ships side so that the hollow buoyant bodies can be moved, as for instance with tugboats, to assist other heavily loaded ships.

The hollow buoyant bodies 12, according to the invention, can be old tankers, such as the T2, which are no longer useful for transporting petroleum products but which have tank holds still suitable for taking on and discharging sea water in accordance with this invention. The propulsion equipment of the tankers would then obviate the need for any tugboat assistance. Alternatively, the hollow buoyant bodies 12 can be salvaged from to and from the ship by tugboats.

FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of the device. 16 for coupling the sides of hollow buoyant bodies 12 to the sides of the ship 10 Coupling device 16 comprises a first bracket number 16a attached to the sides of ship 10 and a second bracket number 16b secured to thesides of the hollow buoyant bodies 12.

First bracket member 16a comprises an angle iron 13 welded to the ships side 10 with one arm horizontal and the other arm extending downwardly. A second angle iron is welded to the first angle iron 18 to form a interchanged. That is to say, referring again to FIG. 4, upper bracket members 16a and 16b are engaged for the coupling 16 and a lower fender 36' is positioned in angle irons 33'. When his desired to move the ship 10 through shallow water and to the side of a pier for unloading cargo, water ballast 14 in the inboard hollow buoyant body 12 is pumped out as shownin FIG. 6.

By preselecting the locations of coupling devices 16 and fenders 36,; the three floating bodies will distribute the loads along their sides in a selected manner to effect the required lifting of ship 10 without damage to the sides rectangular profile at the outboard portion of angle 18.

Second bracket member 1612 comprises an angle iron 28 welded to a side of the hollow buoyant body 12 with one leg horizontaland the other leg outstanding upwardly. Angle iron 28 is reinforced with a strut 30, such as a flat plate, welded between 12 and, an outboard portion of angle 28 and spaced webs 32. A selectively shaped member 34 is obliquely welded between the outstanding and the horizontal legs of angle iron-28. Member 34 is fabricated and positioned so that the upper profile of second bracket member 16b is similar to the lower profile of the first bracket member 16a.

Accordingly, the second bracket member 1612 is interlockable with the first bracket member 16a when the hollow buoyant bodies 12'are selectively loaded by sea' water ballast 14 to permit the uppermost portion of angle iron 28 to pass under the lowermost portion of angle:

iron 18. When the draft of the hollow buoyant body 12 is reduced as by pumping out its water ballast 14, bracket member 1611 will. interlock with bracket member 16a and further pumping outof water ballast 14 will effect the lifting of the ship, 10 and thereby reduced its draft,

'to d as shown in, FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 4, theinterlocking mechanical coupling devices 16 can be secured to the sides of the ship 10 and the sides of a T2 tanker 35 (replacing hollow buoyant commodating'different sizes of vessels-with a single pair of tankers 35 or floatable bodies 12 since the levels at which the mechanical coupling is efiected can be selected according to the physical dimensions of the ship and the tankers or the hollow buoyant bodies.

Optionally, as shownin FIG. 4, a fender 35 is carried 1 Q by the tanker 35 at 'a positionabove the mechanical coupling devices 16a, 16b. This arrangement is especial ly useful when two'tankers 35 or hollow buoyant bodies 12,.one on each side of the ship 10, are employed; Thefender 36 is preferably carried in ang1eirons33 secured to the side of tanker 35 so that it can be-removed by sliding it horizontally.

At various times, there may be insufficient waterdepth near a pier or wharf for permitting the uncoupling of the hollow buoyant bodies 12 from a heavily loaded ship.

' In such cases and according to the invention, both hollow buoyant bodies 12 are arranged in deep water on one side of the vessel 10 as shown in FIG. 5, the three floating bodies being mechanically coupled together with devices 16 according to FIG. 3. However, preferably, the vertical positions of the coupling devices 16 and fenders 36 are of the ship 10 or either of the two hollowbuoyant bodies fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to preferred embodiments, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated and its operation may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for reducing the draft of a ship comprising a pair of normally remote hollow buoyant bodies having a predetermined quantity of water ballast therein, which are adapted to be moved into position alongside a ship, one adjacent each side thereof; a first pair of elongated brackets one of which is .secured in fixed horizontal position to one side of each of said buoyant bodies and extends outwardly therefrom toward said ship when said bodies are disposed alongside said ship; a second pair of elongated similar brackets one of which is adapted to be secured in horizontally disposed outwardly extending position on each side of said ship in position for the under surface thereof to be engaged by the upper surface of the said one of said first brackets secured to the side of the adjacent buoyant body whereby the weight of said ship is partially supported by said hollow buoyant bodies when the draft of said buoyant bodies is decreased by removing ballast therefrom.

2. An apparatusas defined by claim 1 inwhich said first pair of brackets and said second pair of brackets are provided with opposed complementary interlocking surfaces which cooperate with each other to maintain said hollow buoyant bodies alongside said ship" as ballast is being removed therefrom;

3. An apparatus as defined by claim 1 inwhich the upper surface of each of said first pair of brackets is inclined upwardlyand outwardly from the side of the buoyant body to which the bracket is secured, and in which the lower surface of each of said second pair of brackets is inclined downwardly and outwardly from the side of a ship to which they are "secured, the incline-d surfaces of said first and said second pairs of brackets cooperating with each other to wedge said hollow buoyant bodies toward the sides of said ship during and after the removal of ballast from said bodies.

4. The method of reducing the draft of a ship which comprises securing an elongated horizontally disposed V outwardly extending bracketto each side of said ship;

providing a pair of hollow buoyant bodies having a predetermined quantity of .water ballast therein, each of said buoyant bodies having an elongated horizontally disposed outwardly extending bracket secured to one side thereof; moving said bodies alongside said ship, one adjacent each I side thereof, in position for the brackets secured thereto to engage under the brackets secured to the sides of said ship; removing ballast from said buoyant bodies to increase the buoyancy thereof to cause said buoyant bodies to rise until the brackets secured thereto engage the brackets secured to said ship; and then removing additional ballast from said bodies to further increase the buoyancy thereof to cause said bodies to partially support the weight of said ship thereby increasing the buoyancy of said ship and reducing the draft thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 67,433 8/67 Ingram et a1 114-49 2,938,354 5/60 Knapp 114-123 X 3,099,912 8/63 Wolff 114-123 X 3,115,860 12/63 Payne 114-123 X FERGUS S. MIDDLETON, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR REDUCING THE DRAFT OF A SHIP COMPRISING A PAIR OF NORMALLY REMOTE HOLLOW BUOYANT BODIES HAVING A PREDETERMINED QUANTITY OF WATER BALLAST THEREIN, WHICH ARE ADAPTED TO BE MOVED INTO POSITION ALONGSIDE A SHIP, ONE ADJACENT EACH SIDE THEREOF; A FIRST PAIR OF ELONGATED BRACKETS ONE OF WHICH IS SECURED IN FIXED HORIZONTAL POSITION TO ONE SIDE OF EACH OF SAID BUOYANT BODIES AND EXTENDS OUTWARDLY THEREFROM TOWARD SAID SHIP WHEN SAID BODIES ARE DISPOSED ALONGSIDE SAID SHIP; A SECOND PAIR OF ELONGATED SIMILAR BRACKETS ONE OF WHICH IS ADAPTED TO BE SECURED IN HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED OUTWARDLY EXTENDING POSITION ON EACH SIDE OF SAID SHIP IN POSITION FOR THE UNDER SURFACE THEREOF TO BE ENGAGED BY THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE SAID ONE OF SAID FIRST BRACKETS SECURED TO THE SIDE OF THE ADJACENT BUOYANT BODY WHEREBY THE WEIGHT OF SAID SHIP IS PARTIALLY SUPPORTED BY SAID HOLLOW BUOYANT BODIES WHEN THE DRAFT OF SAID BUOYANT BODIES IS DECREASED BY REMOVING BALLAST THEREFROM. 